Pneumatically-operated impact-fuse



E. w. NEWELL.

PNEUMATICALLY OPERATED IMPACT FU$E. APPUCATION HLED MAR.3.I9I7. RENEWED JAN-2|.19l&

- 1,309,773. Patented July 15, 1919.

Fiy'i.

' Edwa ml W NZWZIH UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD NEWELL, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE WESTINGHOUSE AIR BRAKE COMPANY, OF WILMERDING, PENNSYLVANIA, A

CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

PNEUMATICALLYY-OPEIRATED mracr-rusn.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 15, 1919.

Application filed March '3, 1917, Serial No. 152,224. Renewed January 21, 1919. Serial No. 272,354.

T all whom it may concern I Be it known that I, EDWARD W. NEWELL,

a citizen of the United States, residing at mechanism therefor.

One object of my invention is to provid a fuse mechanism adapted to be controlled by fluid under pressure.

Another Dobject of my invention is to utilize fluid supplied to the fuse mechanism for enhancing the explosive qualities of the explosive.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following'more detailed description of the inventio In the accompanying drawing; Figure 1 is a central sectional View, in part, of a projectile containing a fuse mechanism embodying my invention, and showing the parts in normal position; and Fig. 2 a similar view, showing the parts in the position assumed immediately after impact of. the projectile.

According to my invention, a casing 1 is provided which is adapted to be screwed into the forward end of the projectile body 2 and has mounted at the rear end a primer 3.

The casing 1 is provided with a cylindrical bore llwithin which is a piston 5 forming part of a firing plunger 6, the bore .4

being positioned, so that the movement of the piston 5 therein will, cause the firing plunger to strike the primer 3.

Normally inclosing the outer end of the bore 4 and contained in chamber 7 of easing 1, is a cup shaped member 8 adapted to engage a seat 9 carried by the casing 1,

trol forwardly inclined passages 14 Which open to the atmosphere.

The rear end of the valve 13 is provided with a piston 15 -working in a bore 16 formed in the nose 12 and between the/piston and the outer end wall of the nose there is mounted a coil spring 17. The rear end of the nose 12 is provided with a rearwardly extending screw threaded projection upon which is screwed a seating ring 18 against which a seat 19 on the piston 15 is normally adapted to engage.

Passages 20 lead rearwardly from chamher 16 to the atmosphere and a passage 21 in casing 1 connects chamber 4 at the rear of piston 5 through a rearwardly inclined passage 22 to the atmosphere.

In order to prevent rattling, a light coil spring may be placed in the chamber 7 so as to acton the member 8.

The parts are normally positioned as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing, and when the projectile is fired from the gun, air enters thepassages 14 in the nose 5 of the projectile, due to the movement of the pro- ]ectile and enters the chamber 7, building up a fluid pressure therein.

, When the piston 15 is seated, a restricted area only of the piston is exposed'to the fluid pressure in chamber 7, while the annular space formed by the valve 13 and containing spring 17 is sub ected to atmospheric pressure by way of passages 20.

The seated area of piston 15 is such as to provide a differential area subject on one side to the pressure in chamber 7 and on the other side to the atmospheric pressure in the spring chamber.

It will therefore be seen that when the fluid pressure in chamber 7 and on said differential area has been built up to a pressure sufiicient to overcome the resistance of spring 17, the piston 15 will liftfrom its seat, and thus expose the full'area of the piston to the pressure in chamber 7. This sudden increase in pressure on piston 15 then causes the quick movement of the piston and valve 13 to close the passages 14 so as to retain the fluid pressure in chamber 7.

Upon impact of the projectile, the member 8 is moved forward by inertia, releasing the sear blocks 10 and permitting-the fluid pressure in chamber 7 to act on the v detonate the projectile, the sear blocks being thrown out of engagement with the PIS'COII by the movement of the piston.

It is well -known that many substances when in the form of fine particles become explosive, especially when exposed to air in motion and it is also known that the usual explosives act more effectively when similarly exposed.

According to one feature of my invention, I propose to utilize this principle by providing means for supplying air admitted to the fuse mechanism to the chamber containing the explosive material.

Accordingly, ports 23 in the casing 1 are provided, so that when air is admitted to chamber 7 during the flight of the projectile, the same Wlll pass through the ports 23 to the explosive chamber-24 of the projectile and also through ports 25 in the usual gaine 26.

In order to prevent the passage of air from the explosive chamber of the projectile into the piston chamber 4 atthe rear of piston 5, a diaphragm 27 may be interposed across the piston cha'mber, between the primer'3 and the firing plunger 6. This diaphragm may be made of a fragile substance, such as glass, or an easily punctured material, such as a thin sheet of metal, so that the movement of the firing plunger to strike the primer will fracture or puncture the diaphragm.

Having now described my invention, What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1.- A projectile provided with -a chamber and having inlet ports through which air from the atmosphere is compressed into said chamber by the flight of the projectile, a firing plunger for detonating the projectile, and means operated upon impact of the projectile for, supplying fluid from said chamber to operate the firing plunger.

2. A fuse mechanism for a projectile having a chamberadapted to be charged with air under pressure during the flight of the projectile, a firing plunger, and means normally cutting off communication from said chamber to 'the firing plunger and operated by inertia upon impact of the projectile for opening communication from the chamber to the firing plunger, to thereby operate the plunger by air pressure.

3-. A fuse mechanism for a projectile having a chamber adapted to be charged with air under pressure during the flight of the releasing said locking device and for supply ing air from said chamber to actuate said firing plunger.

at. A projectile provided with a chamber and having inlet ports through which air is compressed into said chamber during the flight of the projectile and a valve operated at a predetermined pressure in said chamber for closing said ports.

5. A projectile provided with a chambe'r and having inlet ports through which air is compressed into said chamber during the flight of the projectile, a valve for controlling said ports, and having a piston normally subject over a restricted area to pressure in said chamber and operated at a predetermined pressure in the chamber to expose the full area thereto and thereby quickly move said valve to close the inlet ports.

6. An explosive projectile having a chamber adapted to be charged with air under pressure during the flight of the projectile and having ports for admitting air from said chamber to the main explosive chamber of the projectile.

7 An explosive projectile having a chamber adapted to be charged with air under pressure during the flight of the projectile and having ports for admitting air from said chamber to the explosive chamber of the projectile, a firing plunger, and a frangible diaphragm interposed between said plunger and the explosive chamber.

8. An explosive projectile having a chamber adapted to be charged with air under pressure during the flight of the projectile and having ports for admitting air from said chamber to the explosive chamber of the projectile, a primer, a firing plunger therefor, and a frangible diaphragm between said primer and the firing plunger.

9. An explosive projectile having a chamber adapted to, be charged with air under pressure during the flight of the projectile and having ports for admitting air from said chamber to the explosive chamber of the projectile, a primer, a firing plunger adapted to be operated by fluid suppl ed from said air chamber to one side of said plunger, and a frangible diaphragm between said primer and theopposite side of the firing plunger.

my hand.

EDWARD w. NEWELL.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set 7 

